Gangs join forces to ‘take out’ cops, Baltimore PD alleges

A demonstrator raises his arms as he faces law enforcement officers near Baltimore Police Department Western District during a protest against the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, in Baltimore April 25, 2015 (Reuters / Sait Serkan Gurbuz) / Reuters

Baltimore police said it has credible information that street gangs have joined forces to attack police. The statement was issued minutes before the funeral service for Freddie Gray, who died in Baltimore police custody earlier this month.

According to the Baltimore Police Department, there is
“credible information” that various prison and street
gangs entered a partnership to “take-out (sic) law
enforcement officers.”

“Law enforcement agencies should take appropriate precautions
to ensure the safety of their officers,” the release said,
adding a request to the media to distribute the warning to
“the public and law enforcement nationwide.”

The gangs named in the release are Black Guerrilla Family, Bloods
and Crips. All three started out in the Los Angeles area, before
spreading throughout the US. According to publicly available
estimates, Crips may have up to 35,000 members and Bloods up to
20,000, with the BGF estimated at up to 300 members and 50,000
“associates.”

From the Tragedy of Bro Freddie to the Triumph of
Unity...Bloods, Crips and the FOI united!… https://t.co/5iy73zn4Ux

Nation of Islam activists said on Saturday they had brokered a
“truce” between the long-time rivals Bloods and Crips, and posted
a photo on social media showing the members of two gangs wearing
their colors and posing together.

Bloods and Crips unite for justice for Freddie Gray
#JusticeOrElse(Photo: Farajii Muhammad)Posted by Million Man March
• 20th Anniversary on Saturday, April 25, 2015

However, a number of local residents, activists and observers
have greeted the police announcement with skepticism, posting on
social media that the timing of its release was “too
convenient.” One Baltimore resident described the statement
as “controlling the narrative”.

I fully expect hard questions from @baltimoresun reporters
on this. Even if true completely unnecessary and vile to
release during funeral.

On April 12, Gray was apprehended by members of the Baltimore
Police Department after fleeing on foot from a cluster of
officers. He suffered a severe injury to his spinal cord while in
the custody of the BPD and died a week later. Six police officers
remain suspended pending the results of an internal investigation
into the affair.

Protests erupted across Baltimore after Gray’s arrest and
intensified following his death. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
and the family of Freddie Gray have urged protesters to remain
peaceful, but police reportedly arrested dozens over the weekend
when rallies turned violent.